POULTRY FOR EVERYBODY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10404, 26 August 1911, Page 3

POULTRY FOR EVERYBODY.

(Rv "Cock-©' the-NcnV")

Wo now come to No. Ji rocthiod *:!' feeding, viz.,; "AH 'Maifih." This meit'hiod, in imy x opinion, is E'implj hopeletse when, 'viewed from «. business ©fcandjpoiinit. It hto ail itiho <3t> feotsi ).Tndj cMsapdlrauiifcagos <c<f ihoth No. 1 land No. 2 method's, 'With cue ■exception', itbe bird lis enabled! in the morning to gat ifbod in a form which can be quickly fledimiliaited, amfco the system, a,nd! thus, relievo the exli'au&titan' entailed Iby tEie long fast due to a- soft feedi iat might. This may Ibe taken as a redeeming point in Itlhis method of feeding; .but let the reader plains© *and! aisik (himself at what cost for tiLm© -and. labour is this redeeming point gained? It is simply enormous, laaid. not to (be thought of umdlsr amy consideration for la icom•merciial poultry plaait, inor for tine ■m'aitittsa- of that for iaaiy other plaint which is lioobimg 'for heavy egg production..

No. 4,. "Dry-feeding System."— This is 'all grain in deap litter. This is oeuitaimly la labour-siaving method of feedling, ibuife not one to bo iresommenided fosp heavy or eoomomiioal egg production. Again and (again has lit been, tested!, but always with the j siacme result, viz., that a ration, of Whioh a portion was 'Composed of meals or ground grains produced .more eggsivamd! cheaper eggs than one compcisisdi of ladl-whole grains. The (bird's (are certainly im splendid comdiItian, land heallithy, <a& the (result of the oonisrtiaint exercise induced by this method of feeding; but I do not think anyone runs a poultry plant to isiee how' miuioh exercise they loan, mafce their fowls .take. Rather, to see how; imiaray eggs icari 'be prodluoed, and at, hiow low ia cost per dozen for food, time landi labour.

. <As (to exercise, this earn, be very much, overdone. The (bird' should not be oompieHed to itiako imore exercise than is meei&ssiary to keep her in good health and from becoming over-fat. To imy imind, fthisi taking too much exercise (accounts in a very 'large' measure for the failure of fowls \md)er natural 'conditions. to produce a® nuany eggs as (those which have, 'been doanesibicatedi, (because the bird undier [ mlaitiural conditions got her food a grain or two a* a. tianei, and then only iby rao-msitant (search and scratching. TIM'S iseraltohing mad© too great » demiamidi on the Stood: for fuel, for energy, and (Left very Jattlei surplus for eggs. s - ■ ' 1 No. 5 method, the "hopper sys* tem."— This is the direct opposite of No. 4, as, while the former demands ttoo much exercisei, the latter calls for none at all. The wheat as in. on© hooper, maize in another, oats in another, and bran, and pollard, animal food', etc., in otter separate Shoppers; so that all a bird lias (to do as to get *o (the hopper .and help heriseflf -without .trouble, and only the exertion of stooping and picking up the various grains or ; meals. For heavy breeds this method of feeding is suicidal, and none but an exitremely tiredi, or ignorant person; iwould ever dream .of tlrying dt. Some stains of the lighter (breeds, however, do very well on it, though I am of the opinion .they would do better on a /system of -feeding ealing for a little .more exercise ithan -this one call's for. Now oomes the last, No. 6, and to imy mind: by far (the most important. This, «« * "explained before, consists of having properly-constructed hoppens filled with dry mash ibefore the birds at all time. Hence ttJhe name, "Diry-<miash System." At night the (birds fed wift whole grain' buried Sn>'K*t^- ;; whicli! compete exertt» .■ fixiii"' at,- -^land;, nfiisureis the birds; igetttiaig warm ibefore -going "on i/be perch. The mlafeb used- system. is 'entirely'"- dlry, no moisitiure ctf any i sort beimg'added at any' time. The bird, if in need of drink, -musit get it from the water-trough or other utensil used' for this purpose. In my opinion,, and in the opinion of many other poultrymen, it lis ®> perfect system/ It iis goodi for heavy egg production, and the birdlsi .will not eat any more of it -than any other raIfcion. It enables the user to install labour-saving appliances;"which no other imiethod of feeding does. It is clean., easy, dainty, wholesome-, and economical. This is why I have been simply amazed whom ifc rtlo some (that they have almost in- j siultedi .me for so doing, and some have even gone, the tfuU' length and done, iso, though itb has. been always . when any hack wias turned. And , mow, do they do so? Not much! Some j of these folk are among the most | prominent dry-mashers in the Dominion. I (hlave given its good points, and readers imay very naturally ask, Has it no (bad points or defects? Ye®, one, to/my Mowledge. It is apt to indue© laziness, mot in the. birds, but in their keepers.., >-. ••;■■■ To reader® of the' Wairarapa Age, any adsvice is this: If you have not yourself personally tried rthis system of feeding, do iso at onoe. A trial •with a dozen birdis will not ruin you. dive it a '.severe .trial. Take a dozen (birds (which (hlave (been, previously fed on moist unaish and put them .straight on dry •maishi, and you will never regret having done :so. This applies to Ithe fancier a® -well as the utility .poultry mam, and I'll wager that if a fancier has two (birdis of equal merit in head 1 , eye, comb, 'legs, (type, pluimage, etc.,, and he feeds one on moist and: the 'other on dry inash, the latter will wipe the foflmer out for cups, championships, or specials.